Mechanical electric-current interrupter or circuit-breaker.



No. 766,248. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

J; 0-. HBINZE, JR. MECHANICAL ELEOTRIG CURRENT INTERRUPTBR 0R CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1904. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

E J. 0. HEINZE, JR. ME-CHANICAL ELECTRIC CURRENT INTERRUPTER OR CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 9, 1904.

3 SHEETS-8HEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

No. 7665248. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

Y J. O. HEINZE, JR.

MECHANICAL ELECTRIC CURRENT INTERRUPTER ORGIRGUIT BREAKER.

' APPLIOATION IILED MAR. 9, 1904. 1 no KODEL. v a ISHEETSSBEET 3.

H H JYZ M .1 .2 w-

"("NI'H I Jilllill} Y A A I W WM avg/A with 3mm UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OEEIoE.

MECHANICAL ELECTRIC-CURRENT INTERRUPTER OR CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,248, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed March 9, 1904.

To all 1071/0712, it may concern.-

ell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Mechanical Electric-Current Interrupter or Circuit-Breaker, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanical electriccurrent interrupters; and its principal objects are, first, to provide mechanical means whereby a given electrical current can be more rapidly interrupted than heretofore; second, to provide means whereby the amount of electrical current passing through the circuit may be regulated by varying the time the current is allowed to flow through the circuit, and, third, to provide means whereby after the circuit is completed the intensity of the electric current may be gradually instead of suddenly increased before the circuit is broken.

The first feature of my invention consists, broadly, in means whereby a set of two or more spark gaps or breaks may be formed simultaneously in an electric circuit and reproduced in rapid succession. It may be embodied in difierent forms; but that preferred consists of two or more insulated rotating commutator segments so arranged that a brush or brushes connecting said segments in series simultaneously interrupt or break said circuit into a series of two or more spark gaps or breaks, which are rapidly reproduced. By so doing the length of the gaps or breaks, and hence the time before the current is broken, is reduced more and more the greater the number of spark gaps or breaks.

If with a given current and with one segment and brush the spark gap or break is, for example, nine-sixteenths of an inch in length before the current is broken, the spark gaps or breaks say nine sparkgapsresulting from the use of a series of segments and brushes would be one-sixteenth of an inch in length and the period of time before the current would be broken would be one-ninth of the time required when one spark gap or break is used, provided, of course, there are the SerialNo. 197,236 (No model.)

| same number of revolutions in each case. This matter will be explained more fully later.

The second feature of my invention consists in such an arrangement of a brush, operated as by a commutator-lever in its relations to a rotating commutator-strip and one or more commutater-segments and stationary brush or brushes that the electrical current may be allowed to flow through the segment and its brush during all or any part of the time they are in engagement. Said commutator-lever brush never breaks the circuit, but always completes it, the circuit always being broken at the spark gaps or breaks between the one or more rotating segments and the stationary brush or brushes.

The third feature of my invention resides in the construction of a commutator-strip, with which a brush completing the electrical circuit engages, said commutator-strip being made up of two or more metallic parts in series and connected by resistance coils or equivalent means.

hen the circuit is completed, the current which passes through all the resistance-coils and the parts connected thereby, and hence the circuit, is small; but as the succeeding parts move away from the brush the current encounters fewer resistance-coils, and more and more current flows through the circuit until the maximum current is reached. This gradual increase in intensity not only prevents sparking that tends to destroy the contacting parts, but also minimizes the intensity of the reversed currents, which are induced in the secondary and are due to the closing of the primary circuit of an inductioncoil or transformer and the sudden rush of the primary current. here, therefore, as in the use of X-ray tubes, unidirectional currents are of the utmost importance, this feature of my invention minimizes these reversed induced currents in the secondary of the induction-coil, and hence in the X-ray tube. It will thus be seen that where the efficiency of current depends upon the rapidity with which the current is interrupted or upon the amount of current or upon unidirectional currents the utility of my invention is very great, especially when the primary wire of an inductioncoil is in the interrupted circuit.

hile my invention may be applied to a current broken or regulated for any purpose,

it has been applied by me particularly in interrupting the primary current of inductioncoils.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of all the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing my invention associated with an induction-coil. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of my invention on line Z Z, Fig. 1; and Fig. 1 is an end view. Fig. 5 is adetail showing a commutator-segment with two insulating-bars instead of three. Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic view of a modification of the first feature of my interrupter, the movement of the segments being oscillatory, While Fig. 7 is a similar view of a second modification, the brushes vibrating to and away from the stationary contacting members.

In the drawings illustrating the principles of my invention and the best modes now known to me of applying them, A is a shaft mounted in suitable bearings and provided with appropriate means, as a pulley a and a belt to give rotary movement to the same. A metal plate B, Fig. 3, abuts against a shouldera" on the shaft A, and then arranged in series and mounted upon said shaft are alternate disks C O, of insulating material, and cylindrical metallic commutator-segments D D D D, which are insulated from shaft Aby proper insulators c 0 0 Also mounted on said shaft are two insulating-rings E E. a second metal plate B, and a nut a, threaded upon said shaft. The insulating-disks, the commutatorsegments, and insulating-rings being confined between the shoulder a and the metal plates B B, a turning of the nut a forces the disks, segment-rings, plates, and shoulder a into tight engagement with each other, and thus secures them to the shaft, so that they will turn with the same. Extending across the 'segments, disks, and rings and parallel with the axis of the shaft are insulating-bars F F" F, set into the faces of said segments, disks, and rings. Between these insulating-bars F F F and mounted upon the insulating-rings E E are metal commutator-strips E E, which may be electrically connected, as by a metallic screw E.

' The metal strips E E may be made in one piece, if desirable; but by the construction shown the screw E* may be removed to disconnect said strips E lying between any two adjacent insulating-bars F F F, and th ereby allow the current to flow through the interrupter only once or twice for each revolution of the shaft. Electrically connected with said strips E are insulated metallic parts E" E E connected in series by resistance-coils e c 01 0 the exposed surfaces of said parts being insulated from each other.

A series of stationary metallic brushes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 are in sliding engagement with said segments and strips, brush 1 engaging strip E brushes 2 3 segment D, brushes at 5 segment D, brushes 6 7 segment D brushes 8 9 segment D Brushes 1 and 2, 3 and 1, 5 and 6, 7 and 8 are electrically connected, while brush 9 is connected with one wire X of the circuit. I

In sliding engagement with the metal strips E and the metallic parts E" E E E is a movable brush Gr, mounted upon a commutatorlever g, which in turn is pivotally mounted upon the journal-box a of the shaft A. A

pin 9, fixed to the frame, limits the move-- ment of the lever g, whose shoulders g are so located that the brush G may be moved through an are equal to that between the insulatingbars. The other wire a" of the circuit is connected with said movable brush G.

Let us suppose, as shown in Fig. 2, that the above-described apparatus S is associated with an induction-coil T, U being the source of electrical energy and V being a condenser, that the movable brush Gr is in the position shown in Fig. 4:, and the stationary brushes just moving off of the segments and on to the insulating-bars, as appears from Figs. 1 and 4. The current, when the parts are in this supposed position, passes through the brush G, the strip E the screw E, the strip E the brush 1, the brush 2, the segment D, the brushes 3 and 4, the segment D, the brushes 5 and 6, the segment D, the brushes 7 and 8, the segment D, the brush 9, the wire 0, the battery U, the primary wire of the inductioncoil, and back to the brush G, thus completing the electrical circuit.

As shown, the current is passing through all the above parts of my interrupter in series; but as the nine stationary brushes simultaneously leave their respective segments at the same rate of speed and pass upon the insulating-bars there will be formed in series nine spar-k gaps or breaks at the same time and having the same length.

The circuit having been broken as above described,the insulating-bar having moved away from said stationary brushes, the latter again slide onto the succeeding surfaces of their respective segments; but it will be noted that the current is not flowing through the circuit, for the movable brush is still electrically connected with the metallic strips E E which, by reason of the insulating-bars F F F, are not in circuit with said segments then in engagement with said stationary brushes. However, the moment the movable brush G and the stationary brush 1 of the series respecinsulating-bar moves into engagement with said stationary brushes, the current is again instantly broken at nine breaks in series, and the current does not again begin flowing until the insulating-bar has passed the movable brush and permits it again to complete the circuit.

It will now be plain that instead of a long single spark gap or break there are several, that by this arrangement of brushes and segments the length of each gap is correspondingly reduced, and hence the length of time required to break the circuit. It will also be obvious that this period of time may be reduced not only by increasing the rate of revolution of the shaft and segments, but also by increasing the number of brushes and segments.

Vhen the movable brush Gr shown in dotted lines and the stationary brushes are in the relations shown in Fig. 4, clearly the circuit is not complete and no current is passing through the interrupter; but as the brush Gs position is changed and the brush is moved toward the stationary brushes the sooner the circuit is completed before the movable brushes and the insulating-bar break the circuit and the greater will be the amount of current passing through the interrupter. If the brush G should assume its extreme position, so that it and the stationary brushes simultaneously engage their respective strips and segments, the current would flow through the interrupter throughoutthe period of engagement between the stationary brushes and the segments between the insulating-bars, and the greatest amount of current would be passing through the interrupter. Clearly by the adjustment of the movable brush in its relation to the stationary brushes the amount of current passing through the interrupter may be regulated.

The gradual increase in the intensity of the current from the making to the breaking thereof is accomplished in the following manner: The instant the brush G (see Fig. 4) engages the metal part E and completes the circuit the current passes through the said part, the resistance-coil a part E, coil 0 part E, coil 0, part 15*, coil 0, metal strip E and the rest of the circuit; but when the part less resistance-coil to obstruct its passage. Hence more current passes through the circuit. The same is true in respect to the succeeding metallic parts E 111* E The resistance becomes less and less, and when the current is broken by the stationary brush 1 engaging the insulating-bar, the current having gradually increased in strength, is broken at its maximum intensity. In fine, the currentwave at the making of the circuit is flat, while that at the break is high and steep.

It will be plain, that my above-described inventions may be embodied in dilferent forms without departing from the principles thereof. For example, the breaking of the circuit E engages the brush G the current has one at tWo or more points in series may be obtamed by the form of device shown in Fig. 6

or that in Fig. 7. In the former the metal members 1W1 M M M M* are mounted upon arm 1*, free to move between two pins 1" r, a

retractile spring 0 tending to move said arm 1' toward and hold the same in contact with pin r. Located in an electrical circuit Y, whose source of energy is a battery J, is a coil of wire K, constituting a solenoid, there being suspended within the same a bar of iron 70, supported from the free end of the arm 9'. Also located in said circuit are the springbrushes 1O 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19, as shown, having their free ends engaging the metal members M M M M M".

The electric currentbeginning to flow, it passes through the brush 10, member M, brush 11, brush 12, member M, and so on through 13, 14, M 15, 16, M 17, 18, M, 19, through main wire, battery J, induction-coil L, solenoid K, which magnetizes and attracts the armature-bar 7U, pulls the arm '2' downwardly against the resistance of the retractile spring 7*, and moves said arm into engagement with the lower pin 9 thus causing the metallic member to move away from the springbrushes. which simultaneously slide off upon the insulating-bar I, and by so doing break the circuit at ten different points in series. The circuit is thus broken, the solenoid K becomes demagnetized, the retractile spring r lifts the arm r, brings said members on the cylinder and the fingers into engagement, and completes the circuit. In this way the metallic members may be rapidly moved into and out of engagement and the current simultaneously and rapidly interrupted at many points.

Fig. 7 embodies the same principle in a device diflering only in form. A series of stationary metallic members N N N, provided with adjustable metallic screws 1 a 72. are in engagement with a series of metallic springfingers or brushes 2O 21 22, whose free rear end portions are secured to a metallic bar 23,

but are insulated therefrom by suitable material 24. This bar 23 may be successively magnetized by an electric magnet 0, formed, say, by the primary wire of an induction-coil, the rearward movement of said bar. 23 being limited, as by an insulated .rod 24. An electric circuit Q embraces said members, spring-tingers, and primary wire of the induction-coil and is energized by a battery q. The fingers and members being in engagement, as shown, the current passes through the battery q, primary wire of electromagnet O, finger 20, screw 22, member N, member N, screw 11', linger 21, linger 22, screw 17?, member N back to battery 9. The electromagnet becomes active and attracts bar 23, causing said fingers simultaneously to break their contacts with screws a 12/12? at said points in series; but instantly the current is broken the electromagnet O and bar 23 becomes demagnetized and the spring-fingers snap against and engage the stationary members, thereby again completing the electrical circuit. This cycle of operations may be repeated with great rapidity.

It will be plain that the desired relative movements between the engaging contacting members may be brought about by simple mechanical devices constituting well-known equivalents to the electromagnetic apparatus shown and described. Obviously a stationary brush can be used, but less efficiently, in place of a movable brush-that is, the circuit can be completed, as by connecting wire a/ with stationary brush 2, (see Fig. 1,) for eX- ample, and the first object of my invention would be accomplished, said engagements be tween said brushes and succeeding segments completing the circuit.

Fig. 5 shows two insulating-bars F F* instead of three, described and shown above; but in all cases themetallic member and the brush which are in engagement to complete the electrical circuit must be in engagement when the stationary brush of the series forms a spark-gap with said metallic member to break the circuit. Further, (see Fig. 4,) the metal parts E* E E E and their connecting resistance-coils e-e e 6 maybe dispensed with, thereby preventing the attainment of the third object of my inventionviz., means whereby there may be a gradual increase in the intensity of the current from the making of the circuit to the breaking thereofbut permitting the accomplishment of the secondviz., means to control the amount of the current passing through the circuit. Still further, by making the adjustable brush Gr stationary the third object may be attained, while the second becomes impossible.

Desiring to protect the features of my invention in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claim is- 1. A shaft rotated by suitable means; aseries of metallic members mounted on said shaft, but insulated therefrom; insulation be tween said metallic members; one or more insulating bars extending across said series of metallic members, and parallel with the axis of the shaft; a series of brushes, in sliding engagement with the surfaces of said metallic members and said insulating-bars successively; an electrical circuit embracing said metallic members and said brushes in series; the brushes sliding ofi of said members and onto said insulating-bars simultaneously and thus breaking the electrical circuit at two or more points, and introducing into the circuit two or more spark-gaps or breaks in series.

2. A shaft, rotated by suitable means; a metallic member, mounted thereon and insulated therefrom; and also a member of insulating material mounted on said shaft; a stationary brush successively to engage the surfaces of said metallic member and said member of insulating material; a movable brush to engage said surfaces of said members successively; a

'lever pivotally mounted and supporting said movable brush; an electric circuit embracing said metallic member, said stationary brush and said movable brush; the movability of said lever-brush, both toward and away from .said stationary brush, along the surface of said metallic member; permitting said brush to be so adjusted in its relation to said stationary brush, as to enable the circuit to be completed through said stationary brush and said metallic member, a longer or shorter period after the stationary brush is in engagement with said metallic member.

3. A shaft rotated by suitable means; a series of metallic segments mounted thereon, and insulated therefrom, and from each other; a series of stationary brushes to engage the surfaces of said segments; said brushes and said segments being in series; an electric circuit embracing said segments and said brushes; insulations for said brushes to engage simultaneously to break the electrical circuit; an insulated metallic member mounted on said shaft and lying between said insulations, and engaged by one of said series of stationary brushes; a brush to engage said metallic member and its insulations for the purpose of successively completing the electrical circuit.

i. A shaft rotated by suitable means; a series of metallic segment mounted thereon, and insulated therefrom, and from each other; a series of stationary brushes to engage the surfaces of said segments; said brushes and said segments being in series; an electric circuit embracing said segments and said brushes; insulations for said brushes to engage simultaneously to break the electrical circuit; an insulated metallic member, mounted on said shaft and lying between said insulations, and engaged byone of said series of brushes; a movable brush to engage said metallic member and its insulations for the purpose of successively completing the electrical circuit; and a lever, pivotally mounted and supporting said movable brush, whose adjustment in relation of the movable brush to said stationary brush and said metallic member is such that the movable brush is always in engagement and has been for more or less time with said metallic member, when the stationary brush by its engaging the insulation breaks the circuit.

5. A series of metallic parts connected in series by resistance-coils; insulation between the adjacent metallic parts; two brushes to engage the surfaces of said metallic parts and said insulation: an electric circuit embracing said metallic parts, and brushes; means whereby said metallic parts and said brushes may be moved into and out of engagement, to allow the electric current to increase gradually from the making to the breaking of the circuit.

6. A series of metallic parts, mounted upon a shaft to turn in suitable bearings; said parts being insulated from said shaft, and connected in series by resistance-coils; insulation between the adjacent metallic parts; insulation between the first and last metallic parts; an adjustable brush to engage said parts and said insulation; a-stationary brush to engage said parts and said insulation; an electric current embracing said parts, and said brushes; said adjustable brush engaging said metallic parts to complete the circuit, and allow the intensity of the current to increase gradually; and said stationary brush breaking said circuit when the current has reached its maximum intensity.

7. A shaft rotated by suitable means; a series of metallic members mounted in said shaft, but insulated therefrom; insulation between said metallic members; one or more insulating-bars extending across said series of metallic members, and parallel with the axis of the shaft; a series of brushes, in sliding engagement with the surface of said metallic members and said insulating-bars successively; the brushes simultaneously sliding off of said members and onto said insulating-bars; a series of metallic parts mounted on said shaft, lying between said insulating-bars; connected by resistance-coils; and having insulating material between the adjacent metallic parts; an electric circuit embracing said brushes, said members and said metallic parts; one of said series of said stationary brushes engaging said series of metallic parts to break the electric circuit; an adjustable brush engaging said parts, to complete the circuit and allow the current to increase gradually; and said stationary brush breaking said circuit when the current has reached its maximum intensity.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN O. HEINZE, JR.

Witn esses:

FRANCIS J. V. DAKIN, ALBERT L. COLE. 

